It's been awhile and I apologize. We just finished our last Italian lesson today, and for me it will be the last Italian unless I find opportunities and study on my own, because unlike most of my classmates I will be taking the majority of my classes in English for the first three years. So over the past two months I have received over 200 hours of Italian instruction. They have a scale over here that goes as follows: A1-A2-B1-B2-C1-C2, where A1 is beginner and C2 is you're basically Italian. After two months, I am considered in the B1-B2 range. Which I am happy with. There are guys who I feel have learned the language better than myself especially in the speaking area, but I am content with where I am. I will make it a point to read and write on my own in Italian. Your reading of a language is a different kind of learning from writing and speaking, so reading a lot doesn't necessarily mean you will speak well. I need to keep forming thoughts and sentences in Italian to help with that.
This Sunday we leave for a six day silent retreat, which I look very much forward to. It will be a time to switch my modes of thinking from Italian to preparing myself to learn what the Church wants me to learn to be an effective shepherd of his sheep. After the retreat we have Ordination week here which is a big deal. It is when most of the fourth year guys are ordained to the deaconate. This is actually the most serious time of commitment for a seminarian, even more so than the priestly ordination. It is at this time that a man makes the promises of celibacy, prayer, and obedience. The ordination takes place in St. Peter's. Not at the St. Clement altar, that one is reserved for only the Pope, but the altar directly behind it. This is where I will be ordained God willing in three years.
The college has only been full this fall for two or three days and not consecutively due to the fact that each class has had retreats throughout September. I can see how this place will become a small city and I've heard how you may not see some guys for months at a time. I haven't started to miss home much yet. I just try not to think about it mostly. We are very blessed here and for the most part, although we are in the middle of Italy, the college feels like the States. We get the Armed Forces Network so we get all the big sporting events. I particularly have enjoyed Sunday evenings. It is when the NFL football games are televised due to our time difference. I feel like I'm at home on Sunday evenings.
I've joined the Choir for the time being, to I think the joy of my mother and the dismay of the other choir members and choir director. We practice twice a week now leading up to the ordination and then I believe it falls to once a week. So mom, I'm working on the singing voice!
The following are the courses I am taking this semester. I'm not even sure what some of them are, I guess I will find out:
TI 1301 Introduzione alla Sacra Scrittura.
TI 1302 Pentateuco e Libri storici dell’A.T.
TI 2348 Atti degli Apostoli.
TI 1303 Teologia fondamentale.
TI 1305 Escatologia.
TI 2314 Introduzione alla liturgia.
TI 1345 Introduzione alla teologia.
TI 0308 La lingua del N.T.
I have been trying to understand my place in the seminary and how the Lord wants me to go about at least this year. For example, last year I was one of the leaders at SJV, my old seminary, and this year I am only a new man. So there is a difference there. However, I have come to see things in a more clear way. Different attitudes, habits, ideas, etc. that are either good or bad, will be beneficial to leading people to Christ or harmful and being a hinderance to others' journey to Him. I can see these things in myself and in others. I feel that I have the ability to be a good example even now here. And possibly even now to call guys on. In the Office of Readings that we pray daily the readings have been from St. Augustine on Pastors, and I'm realizing how awesome of a responsibility it is to be a priest, a pastor. How essential it is to be virtuous, generous, and other centered. So I'll see how this all plays out, but I believe that this is THE time to grow in holiness and to really learn to give of ourselves.
Again I am so blessed to be here, so blessed to be happy here. I have nothing to complain about. I just try to persevere everyday, that is what we are all called to do. Just remember the amazing prize we all have at the end of this life for those who do persevere in holiness.
A little something from our first pope on this...
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:6-9).
